FAQ about counselling

Just google Counsellors ‘near me’ and you should get a full list of Counsellors who are registered with the New Zealand Association of Counsellors (NZAC) - (also known as Counselling Aotearoa), and who work close to you. Alternatively, search here: Search for an NZAC Counsellor

It pays to always look for a Counsellor who’s registered with NZAC/Counselling Aotearoa. Counsellors who are registered with NZAC are appropriately trained and qualified, have to undergo regular Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to retain their registration with NZAC and are subject to our meticulous ethics and complaints process. Other factors to think about are cost and whether you feel comfortable talking to this person. Also think about what you want to get out of counselling and have a chat to the counsellor about that before committing to any sessions.

NZAC registered Counsellors are required to meet high standards of training, be appropriately qualified, undergo regular Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and are subject to our robust ethics and complaints process. This helps to ensure a thoroughly professional service to you in a safe, respectful, inclusive and effective environment.

There are a lot of similarities between counselling and psychotherapy; they are both “talking therapies”. Psychotherapy helps you to understand yourself by exploring how your early life experiences and personality affect your current thoughts, feelings, relationships and behaviour. Counselling can also include these aspects, but it will focus on your difficulties and concerns and help you develop more satisfying and resourceful ways of living.

Think of your mental health like your physical health. Even though you may not have any particular health issues, it’s good to have regular check ups with your GP. It’s the same with seeing a Counsellor – it’s having a check up for your mental and emotional health – whether it’s stress, anxiety or something else, it’s just as important.

The fact that there are so many Counsellors practicing these days shows just how much demand there is for our services. Life can be tough – there are so many day-to-day pressures and stresses, and getting support is the most important thing.

Counselling helps you explore and manage your emotions, thoughts and behaviour. You might be feeling anxious or depressed, or simply worried, about things, including work, relationship breakdown, the kids (or the parents!), the death of a loved one, bad things that have happened to you in the past, or worries about what might happen in the future – anything that causes you emotional upset or that challenges your happiness and sense of self-worth. Counselling helps you to address those challenges, whatever they are, and find ways of dealing with them more positively. It aims to give you a new perspective on your life and help you to develop new ways of thinking and living.

It is sometimes difficult to know how many sessions will be required. It depends on the complexity of the issues you want to work on and what you want to achieve for yourself. Discuss this with your Counsellor and review it with them when you need to.

Most people say they begin to feel better just by starting the counselling process. Just taking that first step of talking freely with someone who’s neutral and non-judgemental, and who wants to, and is trained to help, often makes people feel better. Actually putting a timeframe on when you’ll finally ‘feel OK’ is for you to determine. It depends on a range of factors, but you should feel you are making progress after the first few sessions.

We can very confidently say that counselling that’s provided by a highly trained and qualified professional, like Counsellors who are registered with NZAC, provides beneficial results for most people, most of the time, but it is a gradual process that will require work and time on the part of the person receiving the counselling.

Seeing a Counsellor is just like seeing any other health professional; in order to help you they need to know exactly what’s wrong. In this case, what’s wrong is emotional rather than physical but the same rules apply. So, counselling works best when you’re ready to participate, share honestly and openly about the issues you are dealing with, and when you and your Counsellor are clear and realistic about your therapy goals.

Most likely, yes, you may need to talk about difficult things depending on the issues and challenges you want to address. However, you will not be ‘pushed’ into sharing if you don’t want to. It does pay to remember though that counselling works best when you have the courage to share openly and honestly – no one’s going to judge you! They just want to help and support you. And remember, too, your NZAC registered Counsellor is specially trained to ensure you have a safe, respectful, accepting and inclusive environment.

We know from research that it’s the relationship between the client and the Counsellor that is the most important thing in successful counselling; it’s more important than the ‘type’ of counselling used. We call this the ‘modality’. So, ensure you are comfortable with the Counsellor you choose, and feel confident that you will be able to share with them openly and honestly. Having said that, most Counsellors use a range of different ‘modalities’ or ways of working, and Counsellors who are registered with NZAC are trained to find the way that works best for each client.

Discuss your concerns with your Counsellor first, if you’re able to, or simply look for another Counsellor. Your emotional wellbeing is paramount and all our Counsellors understand that. They won’t take offence if you feel you need to work with someone else. The most important thing is that you feel comfortable with your Counsellor, so trust your instincts.

Absolutely. The whole process is all about making you feel safe and comfortable and if you feel like having a support person with you. Whatever it takes to help you. This will be discussed with your Counsellor before the session in question.

Counsellors don’t prescribe medication. Medication is sometimes useful in conjunction with counselling, for example in some cases of depression or anxiety, but you’d need to seek advice from your Counsellor on that and discuss medication issues with your GP.

Your doctor or psychiatrist may indeed suggest medication for your depression or anxiety. For many people, the right medication can be very helpful. But keep in mind that while the medication can help reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, it won’t fix whatever might be going on in your life that might be affecting your mood. Research shows that in the first instance, the best treatment for mild to moderate depression and/or anxiety is therapy. Over a period of a few months, therapy can help you generate a positive, long term and consistent mood change. Nor are you likely to experience any adverse side effects which can be a problem with medication.

Each Counsellor sets their own fees. Don’t be afraid to ask about this upfront. You may qualify for funding help so ask what’s available in your area. Consumer Magazine found the average costs to be between $100- $200 per session.

Yes, there is funding available through ACC, Work and Income and Te Whatu Ora and GPs. Ask your Counsellor or GP if any of these apply to you and if so, how best to access those schemes.

In the unlikely event that happens we suggest you change Counsellors. Remember, it’s very important you feel safe and respected by your Counsellor. NZAC has a rigorous Code of Ethics and if you feel your Counsellor has breached these by acting inappropriately or unprofessionally you can send your complaint to the NZAC Ethics Secretary at ethicssecretary@nzac.org.nz , or write to us at PO Box 25-287, Wellington 6140.